The invention is concerned with forming crimps in a tube; more specifically, utilization of a hand operated portable tube crimping device.
U.S. Pat. No. 541,472 teaches a device for making crimped stovepipe elbows employing a driving shaft, eccentrics and a caming mechanism to impart the crimp to the pipe.
U.S. Pat. No. 706,030 teaches a metal crimping machine which employs a crimping mechanism and a creasing mechanism and a cam wheel geared to the power shaft within the machine frame so that the machine can operatively crimp and crease alternatively.
U.S. Pat. No. 748,686 teaches a pipe elbow machine performing in a series of automatic or mechanically directed movements the operation of forming inwardly extending eccentric creases in a pipe section.
U.S. Pat. No. 979,724 teaches a pipe bending machine which will be very rapid in its movement so as to provide a means for initially forming a rib before the crimped part is caused to overlap the body portion of the pipe or elbow.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,160,326 teaches an elbow forming machine employing a double-faced cam carried on a rotating shaft and adapted to engage portions on said mandrel to reciprocate the same.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,161,852 teaches an elbow machine which combines corrugated and crimping dies which are used for making longitudinal corrugated and transversely crimped elbows from straight sheet metal pipe sections.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,679,893 teaches a machine for making sheet metal pipe elbows wherein the folds of the crimp are not crushed flat in the initial operation of the machine but are first formed with slightly rounded bends and thereafter flattened completely by a partially drawing or smoothing operation.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,104,993 relates to a method and apparatus for making sheet metal elbows employing an automatic clamping mechanism for engaging the end of the tube and also employing a brake operation for automatically coordinating with the operation of a clutch to stop the machine instantly when the clutch is disengaged.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,670,553 teaches a tube bending machine which is adapted to crimp three sides of the tube by employing a toggle assembly and a pusher mechanism which are actuated simultaneously by a rotating cam connecting each assembly by rocker arms which reciprocate as the cam rotates.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,861,184 teaches a bending apparatus for forming elbows and the like by employing a stepping advance mechanism utilizing a star-like follower wheel and eccentric roller. A control is used to start the drive shafts and the control automatically stops when a selected number of crimps and step advances have been made.
All of the references discussed above do not relate towards a hand operable and a portable tube crimping device which can be used in the field by a workman. Much of the prior art is directly related to the highly automated technique for preparing elbows and the like for down spouts. The difficulty with many of these pieces of equipment is that they cannot be used to prepare down spouts having appropriate sized elbows for the particular configuration of the home or building on which the down spouts are being inserted. In addition, the devices taught do not form a length of tube which is of a defined length wherein a crimp has been placed anywhere along the length of said tube.